1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a socket for an electrical tester, and more particularly to a socket used in testing electrical properties of a semiconductor package.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a plurality of semiconductor chips is formed on a semiconductor board by performing various semiconductor processes. In order to install the formed semiconductor chips on a motherboard, a packaging process is performed on the semiconductor board.
According to a conventional packaging process, the semiconductor board is cut along a scribe lane to separate the semiconductor board into respective semiconductor chips. After the semiconductor chip is attached on a circuit board, a bonding pad of the semiconductor chip is electrically coupled to the circuit board by using a conductive wire, etc. Then, a mold is formed on the circuit board so that the semiconductor chip is surrounded by a mold. An external connecting terminal, such as a solder ball, is mounted on the circuit board.
An electrical property test is performed on a semiconductor package completed by the above processes. A tester used in the electrical property test includes a tester head for providing a test current to the semiconductor package, and a socket that transmits the test current to the semiconductor package, so that the tester head is electrically coupled to the semiconductor package.
However, a conventional socket has a configuration in which the socket can be electrically contacted only to a connecting terminal formed on one side of the semiconductor package. Thus, to test electrical properties of the bonding pad formed on both sides of the semiconductor package and a dual-side connecting terminal, such as a solder ball, after performing a test process on one side of the semiconductor package, the semiconductor package has to be turned over to perform a test process on the other side of the semiconductor package.
In order to obviate the above problem, a prior art socket capable of performing the electrical property test of the bonding pad and solder ball that are formed on both sides of the semiconductor package can be provided, as is disclosed in Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2001-87642.
The socket disclosed in Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2001-87642 includes a socket body and a socket lid. A first connecting pin that is electrically connected with a connecting terminal formed on a bottom side of the semiconductor package is implemented in the socket body. A second connecting pin that is electrically connected with a connecting terminal formed on a top side of the semiconductor package is implemented in the socket lid. Thus, the connecting terminals formed on both sides of the semiconductor package can be tested at one time using the first and second connecting pins.
However, the first and second connecting pins are not electrically connected in the conventional socket. Therefore, an additional test current needs to be provided to the respective first and second connecting pins from the tester head. Thus, there is a problem in that the conventional socket has a very complicated configuration for providing the test current.
Particularly, in the prior art socket, the electrical property test can be performed only on the connecting terminals formed on both sides of the semiconductor package. Therefore, in a case where a stack package including at least two laminated semiconductor packages is tested, the conventional socket can not perform the electrical property test on the laminated semiconductor packages.